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Huffman estate plundered

Robert C. Reed | Hickory Daily Record

Local law enforcement agents survey the J.V. Huffman Jr. residence Friday after a break-in Thursday night in Claremont.

By Sarah Newell Williamson | Hickory Daily Record

Published: June 6, 2009

CLAREMONT - The lavish home of a man accused of an elaborate Ponzi scheme was robbed Thursday night, with the thieves making off with hundreds of thousands of dollars in items.

Law enforcement found out Friday morning that someone broke into J.V. Huffman Jr.'s home on Wishing Well Lane in Claremont late Thursday night. Among the items the thieves stole were 10 flat screen TVs, about $500,000 in theater equipment for a home theater system and a $187,000 Mercedes Benz, said Chief Deputy Coy Reid with the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.

"The doors were locked and the windows were down, but one of the windows was unlocked," Reid said, adding that although there was an alarm system on the house, it doesn't look as though it was set. "When we got here, the doors were open, and all the cabinets and drawers were opened up. They went through every room and the big garage, looking for things."

The sheriff's office was notified about the robbery by someone in the Huffman family, Reid said. They periodically check on the property and noticed a light was left on in the house, he said.

Huffman is accused of lying to neighbors, family and friends for 17 years, telling them he bought and sold securities, as he took millions of dollars from them to pay for his lavish lifestyle. He is charged with four counts of felony security fraud and four felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense.

Reid said what makes this case particularly difficult is that he typically only has one or two victims when something is stolen. This time, there are 400 to 500.

The theft was just one more blow to Huffman's victims.

Some of the victims came to the home Friday afternoon to see the sheriff's office process the scene.

Brenda Sigmon said this wouldn't have happened if the receiver had kept the property more secure in the first place.

Her husband, Gary, agreed.

"They should have padlocked that house," he said. "You knew it was going to happen, with the amount of stuff in that house. That's like laying a $100 bill on the ground and just asking someone to come and take it."

Wayne Bumgarner, who invested with Huffman along with his father, was angry the house wasn't more carefully guarded.

"It's laying here wide open. They're not watching it close enough," he said. "There won't be anything left to give back to investors. Everything should have been moved into storage."

Bumgarner said he's been victimized twice now.

Gary Sigmon agreed.

"They're still taking from us, when we have nothing left," he said.

Law enforcement recovered the Mercedes at a home on Second Street Court, SW, in Conover on Friday after activating the tracker automatically installed in the Mercedes. The sheriff's office took a few people into custody in connection with the theft of the car, but none of them have been arrested.

Reid said the individuals driving the car were visiting friends at the house.

Another person, who was not at the home, was arrested, but that person's names and the charges filed were not available as of presstime.

Although they searched the house on Second Street Court, SW, none of the other stolen items from the Huffman home were there, Reid said.

They have yet to recover any of the other items that have been stolen from the home. Reid said a van or U-haul would likely be needed to transport everything that was stolen from the home.